Koreas end first high-level talks in 7 years without progress

South and North Korea ended their first high-level talks in seven years without any progress, due mainly to upcoming military exercises between Seoul and Washington, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing an official. "North Korea called on South Korea to delay the military exercises until after staging the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War," South Korean Unification Ministry official was quoted as saying. The Koreas have agreed to hold the reunions from February 20 to 25. The North had previously pressed South Korea to scrap the military exercises, which are set to run from Feb. 24 through April, condemning them as a rehearsal for a nuclear war against it. South Korea rejected the North's request, noting that family reunions should not be linked to the military exercises. South Korea reiterated that family reunions are a first step toward improving inter-Korean relations. "We proposed that South and North Korea build confidence by implementing the family reunions," the official said after the two Koreas ended the talks at the border village of Panmunjom on Wednesday. "Differences between the two Koreas have not been narrowed," the official said. The North unilaterally called off family reunions last September at the last minute. Millions of Koreans remain separated since the Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. At Wednesday's talks, North Korea reiterated its demands that the rival Koreas halt all slander and all hostile military acts to help improve inter-Korean relations, according to the report. The two Koreas agreed to continue to discuss issues, though they did not set a time frame for the next talks